Perdue Hill Industrial School

The Perdue Hill Industrial School was founded by Patrick J. Carmichael after he moved to this area in 1918. Carmichael acted as both the principal and teacher during the early years of the school, which was originally a one-room structure serving eleven students. The State of Alabama provided $75 annually towards school operating costs, and students paid a tuition of $.25 each year. When money ran short for the African-American children that the school served, tuition was often paid with chickens or cans of syrup. Over the next forty-six years, Carmichael was instrumental in the growth of the school, which ultimately reached twelve rooms which provided educational space for 250 students and ten teachers. The school closed in 1964, and Carmichael was honored in 1968 by the Alabama State Senate for “outstanding accomplishments and contributions to humankind.”